Legal cannabis sales are lagging behind in Saskatchewan when compared to other parts of the country. (file photo/CKOM News Staff) : Tyler Marr

By Tyler Marr

slow burning

Though slow, sellers say long-term Sask. cannabis sales model preferred

Feb 27, 2019 | 12:04 PM

One cannabis store owner in Saskatchewan believes low supply in the months following legalization could be one reason the province’s cannabis sales are much lower than in other Canadian jurisdictions.

According to the latest retail trade data from Statistics Canada, budtenders in Saskatchewan moved $970,000 worth of product in December 2018. Since cannabis became legal Oct. 17, over $2.476 million has been sold.

Using 2018 population estimates from the national statistics agency for those aged 19 and over, per capita, that works out to about around $2.81.

This places Saskatchewan 10th out of the 12 jurisdictions reporting, with the Maritimes wholly embracing the end to prohibition.

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The province peddling the most legal cannabis per capita is Prince Edward Island, moving $3.397 million since mid-October for a per capita count of $27.80. Next in line is Nova Scotia at $21.98, Newfoundland and Labrador at $16.67, New Brunswick at $13.53 and Yukon — which only started selling in December — at $12.59.

Cannabis sales per capita in Canada based on data from Statistics Canada. (Tyler Marr/battlefordsNOW Staff)

David Thomas, co-owner of Jimmy’s Cannabis Shops in Battleford, Martensville, Estevan and Moosomin, admitted the province was undersupplied in the initial months following legalization, which hurt sales. However, he said there isn’t “anything unexpected about Saskatchewan sales.”

“We really like to focus on what we can control right now and I don’t think anyone knows what the demand is,” he said. “There are still so many moving parts in the cannabis sector right now.”

He finds it best to compare Saskatchewan to Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia for various reasons. In Alberta, per capita sales to date equate to around $9.86 using population estimates for those 18 and over, coming from over $32.982 million in sales.

Thomas believes what gave them a boost out of the gate was access to the government buying group.

“They were able to secure a significant amount of supply,” he added. “But when we look at how Saskatchewan is aligning for the next five to 10 years, I far prefer our model.”

Only Ontario and British Columbia ranked below Saskatchewan, at $2.57 and $1.13 per capita, respectively.

Thomas said supply problems have improved greatly, but what is available is still far from a full product mix and line they would like to see. Nonetheless, his company has been able to launch their online shop because of the growing amount of cannabis on offer, hinting it could help sales.

“There is still a stigma around cannabis and it is nice to give people the option to purchase online,” he said.

The Northwest Territories and Manitoba, which both came online in December, sold $205,000 and $4.267 million worth of product that month, for sales of $6.17 and $4.15 per capita, respectively. Quebec has recorded around $33.271 million in cannabis sales, the most in the country, but its large population pushes the per capita sales to $4.87.

Across Canada, over $151.516 million in cannabis has been sold.

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tyler.marr@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JournoMarr